Plane Mystery Strains China-Malaysia Ties

China's special envoy Zhang Yesui (C) leaves after a meeting with Malaysian government officials and authorities working on the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 at Putra World Trade Center in Kuala Lumpur, March 26, 2014.

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BEIJING— A special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Malaysia's Prime Minister Wednesday to press for more information about the fate of missing flight MH370. As public anger grows in China over Malaysia's handling of the search and mystery of just what happened to the plane, Beijing is stepping up its demands on Kuala Lumpur. Its unclear what broader impact the tragedy might have.

During his meeting with Malaysian officials, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui called for unremitting efforts in the search for the missing plane. Much like the families of those on board, the Chinese government has repeatedly demanded more information from Malaysian officials in the wake of the crash.

Those demands have grown increasingly this week since Malaysia announced the plane had gone down in the southern Indian Ocean.

A family member of a passenger on board Malaysia Airlines MH370 cries as he shouts slogans during a protest in front of the Malaysian embassy in Beijing, March 25, 2014.

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A family member of a passenger on board Malaysia Airlines MH370 cries as he shouts slogans during a protest in front of the Malaysian embassy in Beijing, March 25, 2014.

​Chinese families rallied outside the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing Tuesday, demanding that Kuala Lumpur tell them the truth. Online, Chinese called for a boycott of Malaysian goods and travel to the Southeast Asian nation, which until now has been a popular destination for Chinese tourists.

Travel agencies say that bookings to Malaysia have been falling severely since the plane disappeared with many looking at other destinations for vacation.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 extended search area as of March 26, 2014

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Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 extended search area as of March 26, 2014

China's Foreign Ministry has also demanded that Kuala Lumpur show it all of the data that was used to make Monday's determination and has repeatedly pressed Malaysian authorities for correct information.

Joseph Cheng, a political science professor at the City University of Hong Kong, says the Chinese government is facing a difficult balancing act by being firm with Malaysia, but also sensitive to the needs of family members. He said that China's sending of an envoy and Malaysia's sending of a delegation to Beijing to meet with families here is part of that process.

"Certainly the Chinese authorities have to respond favorably to the demands to the grievances of the victims' group. However Malaysia has been maintaining good relations with China and Chinese leaders have no intention to unduly embarrass the Malaysian authorities," said Cheng.

On Wednesday, Malaysian officials met with the families of those on board at a hotel in Beijing and attempted to explain the data that shows the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean. They also took questions, one of which was whether they thought relations between the two countries would remain friendly.

Zhang Jie, an Asia Pacific security analyst in Beijing says that although emotions have been running high, those feelings are likely to cool over time.

"The way the Malaysian government has handled this airplane accident has created some negative consequences," Zhang said. "Maybe because of their attitude or because of the lack of technical skills of Malaysia. Whether that will have an impact on relations between the two nations remains to be seen."

"I don't think the incident will have much impact on the bilateral relationship although for a little bit of time there may well be some impact on the number of tourists going to Malaysia which has been a favorite destination with Chinese tourists, I don't think a boycott of Malaysian goods and so on will have any serious lasting effect," said Joseph Cheng.

Malaysia was the first ASEAN nation to recognize China and Beijing is the country's biggest trading partner. The two are looking to strengthen security ties as well and boosting military cooperation and trade even further. Last year, the two signed a treaty that raised relations to that of a "comprehensive strategic partnership."

And while China and Malaysia have disagreements over territory in the South China Sea, analysts say that relations on a whole are good compared to Beijing's ties with other nations in the region.

The Bluefin 21, the Artemis autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), is hoisted back on board the Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield after a successful buoyancy test in the southern Indian Ocean as part of the continuing search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, April 4, 2014.

Flight Lieutenant Stephen Graham monitors a TAC station onboard a Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion during search operations for wreckage and debris of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean, near the coast of Western Australia, April 4, 2014.

Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force Commander Hidetsugu Iwamasa speaks to the press in front of one of their P-3C Orion aircraft currently at RAAF Base Pearce near Perth, Australia, April 4, 2014.

Steve Wang a representative from the committee for relatives of Chinese passengers onboard Flight MH370 talks to journalists after a closed door meeting with Malaysian officials via teleconference in Beijing, April 2, 2014.

A crew member sits in the cockpit of a Royal New Zealand Air Force patrol aircraft as it continues searching in the southern Indian Ocean for Flight MH370, April 1, 2014.

Koji Kubota of the Japan Coast Guard keeps watch while flying in the search zone for debris from Flight MH370, April 1, 2014.

A Buddhist monk welcomes Chinese relatives of passengers on Flight MH370 as they arrive to pray at a Buddhist temple in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, March 31, 2014.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott addresses the international forces currently based in Perth searching for Flight MH370 during his visit to RAAF Base Pearce, March 31, 2014.

Afghan officials and human rights organizations assert that Pakistani authorities are using deadly attack at school in Peshawar as pretext to push out Afghan refugees More

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Comments

by: JT from: USA

March 27, 2014 9:12 PM

It is unbelievable about this situation...Are there no airplanes that can be refueled in midair, are there no drones that can fly over this grid area? Why not drop some cheap buoys with cameras mounted and bump into debri? Do any satellites have telescoping abilities? Surely, there's some one with an smart idea of getting photos of this debri, if not able to get a piece of it!!!Where are the smart, innovative folks?????

by: Mark from: Virginia

March 26, 2014 1:27 PM

In a time of grief, even the most rational and level-headed can become unappreciative and selfish monsters, acting out from extreme emotion. Do not forget, that other nationalities lost loved ones on that flight, and while China lost the most, they are not alone in that loss. Even one death is a tragedy.No ones knows what happened on that flight, or where it went or how it got there, and this, after a 26-Nation effort, using every resource at their collective disposal, spent thousands of man-hours searching. The greatest tragedy to come from this, is a deterioration of relations between Malaysia and China to the point of open hatred and anger between its people.

by: PaulusSmith from: Ireland

March 26, 2014 12:55 PM

In the difficult times China has made the situation more complicated for Malaysia . Either it from technical or the nature of security to protect from the data sets to China may spy on .... by the doubting of possible hacking from who the hell did it to the airplane and They might still trying to analyse them . The nature of cut of handshake communications and elevated to 45,000 feet is the shown of problems in the airplane .....They might lost control and had been blind flying and that's why they were flying into a nowhere location in hope might save the people on board and them self.... But also other possibilities to find until the black box could be recovered .....

China should use better manners and languages into the helps other than twisted and spying the territories and acting like a macho man with some phony satellite graphics ......and educate people not to do unnecessary aggressive non-sense too . They airplane hasn't been found yet and none of thing or people found yet ..... and if they all lost at the ocean can any one revive them or do thing better than now situation -......IMHO

by: Robert Tubere

March 26, 2014 12:08 PM

To China and the people of China: you know you tried searching for the plane; you know the difficulty involved. You tried and failed. Quit barking at Malaysia. They faced the same difficulties as you. If you think you can do better, go find the plane yourself and quit bellyaching.

In Response

by: Ken from: China

March 27, 2014 10:39 PM

140 lives lost! Do u have any idea of what this means? Imagine that if these 140 lives were Americans, what would Washington have done to Malaysia? I think it would not merely be complaining with words. It will be action, I think.

by: Matt Brunnabend

March 26, 2014 11:43 AM

I think EVERYONE is having trust issues with Malaysia at this point...

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